Rarely does food play such a central character in a TV show or movie that's not specifically about food, but in The Sopranos, it might as well be one of the family. The crown jewel of which, despite Artie Bucco's hapless attempts, is the cuisine of Carmela Soprano. Strap on your gold President and build a ramp for the ducks, because it's time to emotionally repress our murderous mentality with some cheesy, saucy pasta - with a layer of basil underneath the cheese, of course.

Ingredients

For the Tomato Sauce:

• Extra virgin olive oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 6 cloves crushed garlic

• 1 pound ground beef

• 1 pound sweet italian sausage (casing removed) 

• Tomato paste (1-2 Tbsp)

• (4) 28oz cans San Marzano tomatoes (lightly crushed)

• 1 parmesan cheese rind

• 1 whole stem basil

• Chopped basil, to taste

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

For Carmella’s Lasagna:

• 1 package lasagna noodles

• Tomato sauce (see above)

• Ricotta cheese

• ½ ounce parmesan cheese, grated

• Basil leaves

• Thinly sliced fresh mozzarella cheese

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

For Carmella’s Baked Ziti

• 1 pound ziti noodles

• Tomato sauce (see above)

• Mozzarella cheese (½ inch chunks)

• Ricotta cheese

• Parmesan cheese, grated

For Babish’s Baked Rigatoni

• 1 pound rigatoni noodles

• 8 ounces low moisture, full fat mozzarella cheese (½ inch chunks)

• ½ pound low moisture full fat mozzarella cheese (shredded)

• 16 ounces cottage cheese

• 2 whole eggs

• 3 ounces parmesan cheese, grated

• Nutmeg, grated

• Basil, chopped

• Tomato sauce (see above)

• Béchamel sauce (see below)

For the bechamel sauce:

• 3 Tbsp butter (melted)

• 3 Tbsp flour 

• 2 cups milk

Method

Tomato Sauce Method

1. In a dutch oven, give a generous pour of extra virgin olive oil and bring to a simmer over medium heat. 

2. Add 1 large chopped onion and stir until soft and translucent. 

3. Add 6 cloves of crushed garlic and sauté for an additional minute until fragrant. 

4. Next, set aside your onion and garlic and cook your beef and sausage in batches until it is brown and crumbly.

5. Drain off most of the fat and add the garlic and onion back into the pot. Then, add a few tablespoons of tomato paste. 

6. Add (4) 28oz cans of San Marzano tomatoes (lightly crushed) to the pot. Stir to combine. 

7. For moisture, fill one of your tomato cans with water and add to the pot. 

8. Add 1 parmesan cheese rind as well as 1 whole stem of basil to the pot. Cover the pot and bring to a simmer. 

9. Once the sauce is bubbling, stir and partially cover the pot and reduce the heat to about as low as your stove will go. Simmer for 1 ½ hours, keep the sauce bubbling, and stir occasionally.  

10. Once the sauce is melded, scrape down the sides of the pot to add more flavor. 

11. Add some chopped basil to the pot and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and set aside the sauce for later recipes.

Carmella’s Lasagna Method

1. The pasta should be slightly undercooked and almost crunchy, so boil your lasagna noodles for no more than 4 minutes. Then, immediately move them into a pot or bowl of nice and cool water to pause the cooking process.

2. Lay each noodle out on a lint-free kitchen towel. Set aside for later. 

3. Take an aluminum foil lasagna pan and fill with a healthy layer of sauce to prevent noodles from sticking to the bottom of the pan. 

4. Lay down your first layer of pasta and make sure that all of the gaps are filled. In addition, make sure to flip the pattern every layer to maintain the lasagna’s structure. 

5. Spread a generous amount of ricotta cheese on top of the noodles and add ½ ounce of grated parmesan cheese.

6. Next, add a layer of basil leaves and a layer of thinly sliced fresh mozzarella cheese.

7. Top it off with another layer of sauce and then repeat steps 4-6 until the pan is completely full. 

8. On the final layer, spread a generous coating of sauce and a generous grating of parmesan cheese. Then, add a little bit of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

9. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and place in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes. 

10. Once 30 minutes has passed, take the lasagna out of the oven, uncover the pan, and place back into the oven for 15-30 minutes, or until brown and bubbly on top.  

11. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before digging in.

Carmella’s Baked Ziti Method

1. Cook 1 pound of ziti noodles to very al dente for no more than 5 minutes. Pour your pasta into a large bowl and toss with a cup or two of your tomato sauce and mix accordingly.

2. Into an aluminum pan, pour and spread about half of your pasta over the bottom of the pan. 

3. Spread some ricotta cheese on top of the pasta as evenly as possible and add your ½ inch chunks of mozzarella cheese on top. Then, add about 1 to 1 ½ oz of grated parmesan cheese.

4. Add the remaining half of your ziti and spread it out nice and even. Make sure none of the cheese is exposed. 

5. Top the pan off with a cup or two of sauce and 1 to ½ oz of grated parmesan cheese.

6. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and place in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes. 

7. Once 30 minutes has passed, take the ziti out of the oven, uncover the pan, and place back into the oven for 15-20 minutes until browned, crispy, and bubbly on top.

Babish Baked Rigatoni Method

1. Boil 1 pound of ziti noodles until cooked al dente.

2. In a bowl, add 16 ounces of cottage cheese, 2 whole eggs, 2 ounces of grated parmesan cheese, and optionally, add some freshly grated nutmeg. Mix accordingly. 

3. Add some chopped basil in bite-size pieces to the bowl and mix. Set aside for later. 

4. Pour 1-2 cups of tomato sauce (method above), your pan of Béchamel sauce (see below), and your cottage cheese, egg, parmesan, and basil mixture to the pasta. Stir. 

5. Then, add 8 ounces of low moisture full fat mozzarella cheese (½ inch chunks) and mix until all of the ingredients are evenly dispersed. 

6. Pour into an aluminum pan and top with 1-2 cups of tomato sauce. Top it off with ½ pound of shredded low moisture full fat mozzarella cheese and 1 oz of grated parmesan cheese. 

7. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and place in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes. 

8. Once 30 minutes has passed, take the rigatoni out of the oven, uncover the pan, and place back into the oven for 15-20 minutes until browned, crispy, and bubbly around the edges.

Bechamel Sauce Method

1. Into a medium saucepan, add 3 tablespoons of melted butter and 3 tablespoons of flour. Whisk together and cook for 1 minute before slowly streaming in 2 cups of milk. 

2. Whisk constantly and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until you end up with a thick and creamy Béchamel sauce.